My chickadees are gone. Just gone. As in not here anymore. Replaced by silence and mystery. The abandoned nest of green moss, grass, and oak pollen, was topped with fluff of chickadee down. No eggs. No eggshells. No completion of the work in progress. No farewell message. No hint as to what harm befell the poor things, and surely it was harm. What would cause a diligent pair of chickadees to abandon their nest so near hatching time, if not harm or threat to their safety?
I had watched them for only three days. His regular bringing of food to the doorway led me to believe she was keeping eggs warm, if not already brooding newly hatched young. Then on the fourth day all was quiet. Being only two weeks from the time of the building of the nest and not yet having heard tiny chirps, I'm pretty sure it was too soon for nestlings to have fledged. I watched for a few more days, making sure all nest activity had ceased before I dared open the box to peek inside. The only sign of activity was a large bumble bee flying around near the box. At first I thought the mother had died on her nest. On closer inspection, it turned out to be only fluff, or down.
In this day of hi-tech instant answers to questions, it seems inconceivable that we will never know what happened. Still, the wonder and mystery of the natural world is exactly that. Wonder and mystery. Even in a civilized backyard, we can never have all the answers. It is as it should be—and the reason for the magnetic attraction for all of us, is it not?
I was so looking forward to seeing a chickadee family into the world. Was it my imagination that the mysterious black cat lurking in the bushes across the way on the morning of the fourth day of observation was licking his chops? But now I have another guess that may be more likely. Will share it next post. It has to do with what we found on April 7th when we removed the nest from the box, and what still buzzes there today. Anyone care to guess before I post pictures? dkm
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| Sir Chickadee at the door, March 28 |
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| Several days of silence and mystery |
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| April 4th |
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| Closer view, April 4th |
6 comments:
Oh my! Agatha Christie, CSI and Nature, all rolled into one.
I can't venture a guess, but I am sure someone will reveal the dastardly perpetrator very soon. I am soo sorry about your little birds.
Yes it is sad when nature changes her plans and doesn't let us mere mortals know ! Is there a bee or whasp nest developing ??
Aha, I see! Oh, look at that nice nesting habitat! I'll wait for you to reveal the mystery, but what serendipitous bloggers we are this week!
I do have a soft spot for chickadees, and hope they found another lovely nesting place.
Me too, Patricia. I hear the plaintive "fee-bee-fee-bay" on my morning walks in the neighborhood, but not in the immediate backyard these days. I'd like to think the one I heard up the street this morning was my Sir Chickadee. Wish I could know for sure. There were no eggs in the nest. Do you think that means they hadn't yet been laid? It was only two weeks since the building of the nest, which gives me hope, but in that case, here's hoping she found a new place in time!
So lovely with the blooming azalea, but: May I suggest moving that box at least a meter out from the enclosing hedge, and mounting it on a metal pole fitted with a stovepipe baffle? That situation, lovely as it is, is just an open invitation to black rat snakes, mice, raccoons and ants, with the shrub providing the ladder for any predator you can pick. If you'll email me at julieatjuliezickefoosedotcom I will send you plans for proper box mounting and recommend my booklet, Enjoying Bluebirds More, which will tell you everything you need to know about siting and mounting a box safely for any species. What I don't want is for you to come one day and see the nest dragged out of the box by a raccoon, and the mom bird eaten. It happens and it's awful, but it's perfectly preventable with a stovepipe baffle and proper siting.
So lovely with the blooming azalea, but: May I suggest moving that box at least a meter out from the enclosing hedge, and mounting it on a metal pole fitted with a stovepipe baffle? That situation, lovely as it is, is just an open invitation to black rat snakes, mice, raccoons and ants, with the shrub providing the ladder for any predator you can pick. If you'll email me at julieatjuliezickefoosedotcom I will send you plans for proper box mounting and recommend my booklet, Enjoying Bluebirds More, which will tell you everything you need to know about siting and mounting a box safely for any species. What I don't want is for you to come one day and see the nest dragged out of the box by a raccoon, and the mom bird eaten. It happens and it's awful, but it's perfectly preventable with a stovepipe baffle and proper siting.
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